Spanish protests against Pope's visit to Madrid

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Madrid to protest against a
four-day visit by Pope Benedict scheduled to begin on Thursday.

10:30PM BST 17 Aug 2011

Holding banners against the Catholic Church, members of more than ten Spanish secular organisations marched from the Tirso de Molina square to the emblematic Puerta del Sol in the heart of the Spanish capital chanting slogans against the cost of the Pontiff's visit.

According to organisers of the demonstration, the Papal visit cost more than 10 million euros. Participants expressed discontent over the costs of his third trip to a country struggling to exit a recession and with one in five unemployed.

Pope Benedict will be in Madrid from August 18 to 21 to take part in the 2011 World Youth Day that attracts thousands of pilgrims every four years.